The 20-year DU Anniversaries (a little history?) [View all]
A fellow DUer's 20th anniversary here reminded me -- of course! DU began after the devastation that was Bush v. Gore. I hope it's okay to post a short history, without breaking the rules. It seems too long ago for it to revive any feuds.
The "Shrub" administration seemed as threatening then as the orange menace seems now. By 2004, the fight among primary candidates was fierce. The DU sensibility was generally for Howard Dean. Some of us who supported other candidates lurked on other sites but feared joining DU. I know those of us who supported Gen. Wesley Clark ("Clarkies"
considered DU with some trepidation.
Clark's strategy included Dean winning Iowa, thinking it might then become a two-man race in New Hampshire and narrow further in South Carolina. But Dean lost Iowa, and Kerry and Edwards came out with huge momentum.
General Clark dropped out of the race in February, and Dean dropped soon afterward. Once Super Tuesday was over, the coast seemed clear at DU. John Kerry was going to be the nominee, like it or not, and everyone was (somewhat) welcome at DU.
That's why there was an influx of new DUers in March of 2004, and why we're likely to see a lot of 20-year anniversaries around now! I just checked my profile, and realized my own 20th anniversary on DU will be March 12th. How time flies!!!
Remembering those times, I am really grateful for the flexibility of the DU owners, operators, and admins - past and present - who rolled with troubled times, changed the rules as needed, and even opened all the new forums to keep us going after 2004. Even though I haven't posted as much lately, DU has been important to me for a long time. 
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